375
FXUS65 KBYZ 191201
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
501 AM MST THU FEB 19 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- SNOW WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF TODAY, LINGERING THE LONGEST OVER
EASTERN MONTANA. SCATTER SNOW SHOWERS REDEVELOP OVER THE
SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS (ABSAROKA-BEARTOOTHS) THIS AFTERNOON.
- WIND CHILLS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO TEENS BELOW ZERO THIS
MORNING AND FRIDAY MORNING, COLDEST THIS MORNING. OCCASIONAL
WIND CHILLS OF 20S BELOW ZERO IN FAR EASTERN MONTANA.
- CONDITIONS GRADUALLY TREND WARMER AND DRIER INTO THE WEEKEND.
- WARM AND WINDY PATTERN RETURNS EARLY NEXT WEEK.
UPDATE
SNOW IS GRADUALLY COMING TO AN END OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL MONTANA
THIS MORNING. THEREFORE, THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE LOWER
ELEVATIONS OF PARK, SWEET GRASS, AND WHEATLAND COUNTY HAS BEEN
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. WHILE SNOW IS ALSO TAPERING OFF TO THE EAST OF
THESE AREAS THIS MORNING, RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW THERE
ARE STILL POCKETS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW MOVING NORTH THROUGH
THE AREA THAT COULD IMPACT THE MORNING COMMUTE. THEREFORE, THE
REST OF THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTH- CENTRAL AND EASTERN MONTANA AND NORTH-CENTRAL WYOMING
REMAIN IN GOOD SHAPE. ARENDS
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
THE LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW IMPACTING PORTIONS OF THE REGION WILL
GRADUALLY TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS
TODAY. OVER EASTERN MONTANA, LIGHT SNOW MAY LINGER INTO THE
AFTERNOON HOURS (MODERATE CHANCE), BUT ACCUMULATIONS LOOK TO BE
LITTLE TO NONE. OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL MONTANA,
INCLUDING THE ABSAROKA-BEARTOOTHS, ADDITIONAL SCATTERED SNOW
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE
SPOTTY, BRIEF REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY MAY OCCUR IN THE HIGH
COUNTRY, AND POTENTIALLY IN THE PARADISE VALLEY. IF YOU HAVE
TRAVEL PLANS TODAY, BUT MAINLY THIS MORNING, BE PREPARED FOR
WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES IN EFFECT
FOR MUCH OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AND EASTERN MONTANA AND NORTHERN
WYOMING REMAIN IN GOOD SHAPE.
TODAY WILL BE THE COLDEST DAY WE HAVE SEEN IN AWHILE WITH HIGHS
REMAINING IN THE TEENS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. WIND CHILLS THIS
MORNING WILL ALSO BE COLD, IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO TEENS BELOW
ZERO. OVER FAR EASTERN MONTANA, OCCASIONAL WIND CHILLS IN THE 20S
BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED EARLY THIS MORNING. WHILE FRIDAY WILL
START OUT COLD ONCE AGAIN WITH WIND CHILLS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO
TEENS BELOW ZERO, WARMER CONDITIONS LOOK TO RETURN WITH HIGHS
BACK IN THE 20S AND 30S. BE SURE TO DRESS IN LAYERS DURING THIS
COLD PERIOD AND MAKE SURE WAIT AT THE BUS STOP WITH CHILDREN UNTIL
THEY BOARD THE BUS.
FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY, ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. WITH THIS, THERE IS A 15 TO 30 PERCENT
CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL MONTANA LATE FRIDAY. AT
THIS TIME, ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THAT OCCUR LOOK TO REMAIN LIGHT
(GENERALLY LESS THAN AN INCH). BRIEF REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY
LOOK TO BE THE MAIN THREAT.
AS RIDGING BUILDS IN FOR THE WEEKEND, DRIER CONDITIONS WILL
PREVAIL. BREEZY WINDS WILL ALSO RETURN TO THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF
BILLINGS. WARMER TEMPERATURES BACK INTO THE 40S TO LOWER 60S THEN
LOOK TO RETURN EARLY NEXT WEEK. WITH THIS, STRONG WINDS WILL
LIKELY RETURN TO THE FOOTHILLS WEST OF BILLINGS, INCLUDING THE
COMMON GAP WIND LOCATIONS OF LIVINGSTON TO NYE. A POTENTIAL
BACKDOOR COLD FRONT TUESDAY MAY BRING WINDY CONDITIONS BACK ACROSS
THE PLAINS AS WELL. THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN
BECOMES MORE PROGRESSIVE INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, ALLOWING
FOR OCCASIONAL CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION. ARENDS/ARCHER
AVIATION
THE LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW OVER THE AREA THIS MORNING WILL
GRADUALLY TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS,
POTENTIALLY HOLDING ON OVER EASTERN MONTANA INTO THE AFTERNOON
(MODERATE CHANCE). WITH THIS, MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS ARE COMMON
WHERE SNOW IS FALLING, WITH PERIODS OF LIFR TO VLIFR CONDITIONS
UNDER THE HEAVIEST SNOW. AS THE SNOW TAPERS OFF TODAY, THE LOW
CEILINGS WILL GRADUALLY DISSIPATE AS WELL, ALLOWING VFR CONDITIONS
TO RETURN. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS WILL ALSO OCCUR WITH THE SNOW
TODAY. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS OVER AND NEAR THE ABSAROKA-BEARTOOTH
MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON MAY ALSO TEMPORARILY OBSCURE THE HIGHER
TERRAIN. ARENDS
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
TDY FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 012 901/031 016/039 013/036 020/056 035/055 031/055
5/S 00/B 20/B 00/B 00/U 02/W 32/W
LVM 024 004/032 015/040 016/040 025/054 035/050 030/047
2/S 11/B 20/U 00/B 00/N 14/W 43/J
HDN 014 904/030 012/039 010/040 017/057 029/057 029/056
7/S 10/B 21/B 00/B 00/U 02/W 33/W
MLS 010 001/023 009/031 006/030 017/049 027/051 024/049
4/S 20/B 00/B 00/B 00/U 01/B 21/U
4BQ 011 901/026 009/035 007/036 018/052 029/054 028/052
7/S 10/B 00/U 00/B 00/U 01/B 22/W
BHK 010 901/020 004/027 001/028 010/047 025/049 022/046
1/E 10/B 00/B 00/U 00/U 01/B 21/U
SHR 013 903/028 008/037 009/038 016/056 027/055 025/051
7/S 11/B 10/U 00/B 00/U 02/W 43/W
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS
MORNING FOR ZONES
29>32-34-36-37-42-56>58-138-139-169>171-173-235.
WY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS
MORNING FOR ZONES 198-199.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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